Calm After The Storm
by LunaLight and StarFire Cast
Summary: Alternative version of Heart of Thunder. Caroline leaves Klaus for good. one-shot


**Author**: Lunalight Cast

**Story**: Calm After the Storm

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Vampire Diaries but if I did the series would revolve around Caroline.

**Summary**: Alternative version of Heart of Thunder. This for you anon, hope you like it.

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The wind blew against her face fiercely, her grip on the steering wheel held tight. Her hair whipped around her face in a refreshing flash and she smiled as she looked at herself through her side mirror, her eyes flashing back towards the road quickly. It had been a long time since she had been back in Mystic Falls and somehow the breeze brought in from her hometown gave a sense of relief to her aching soul. She had missed this place, she had missed her _home_. Though the places she had traveled to had been miraculous and the sights in Paris and Italy are things that she will never forgot there were things that she needed to relive back in Mystic Falls. She could hardly recall the last time she had seen her friends, let alone talked to anyone. Caroline pulled out her cell phone and threw it out the window; it was all going to be a fresh start. She wondered as she passed the sign that read _Welcome to Mystic Falls_ how much had changed. How Bonnie, Matt and Jeremy had all aged. If the Salvatore's still hung around and if by chance Elena would still be lingering around town. She breifly thought about Tyler and if he was seeing anyone...

This place had a lot of memories for her, most of them good. All of them from periods of time before _he_ had arrived. She didn't like to think about him, not in the least. Apart of her still wanted to turn the car around and rush back to him. Though she knew she'd rather stake herself than be as pathetic as to crawl back to him. She loved him, that was one thing she was never going to conquer, but she left for good, there was no turning back now.

She could still recall the look on his face when she told him she was leaving, the image fresh in her mind.

"_What did you just say?" he asked. She flinched at his cool words; he had asked her the question in indifference, as if he wanted her to prove him wrong, that she hadn't just confessed to leaving him. Caroline swallowed the spit that had gathered in her mouth, standing her ground she looked him in the eyes and said, "I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore. I can't do us anymore. I'm going back home. We're done." _

_He stood staring at her, his face emotionless. His eyes bore into hers and she could tell he was contemplating his next move. Though he never did make a move, he simply stared at her, as if his mind was reliving all the moments they had spent in the room, all the sex, laughs and feeding they had shared._ _And as if he was sending her a silent message to run as fast as she could his green eyes shined beautifully, his lips quivering as he took in a deep breath. He then tore his eyes away and in a flash he was gone._

That was the last time she saw him. Caroline breathed in as the street to the Gilbert's residence came into clear view.

_It had been a week since she left him and in that lost time he had lost his mind. He had gotten rip-roaring drunk, never in all of his years of life had he ever thought he'd drink as much as he did that night. Caroline had left him and in his wicked mind he thought of all the ways he could take his life. He was reckless and dangerous and heartbroken. Maybe, just maybe, he could make a feast of the people inside of the small town bar instead of taking his own life; the idea was more appealing to say the least. So he did just that, he killed every single man and every single woman, every couple and loner that had walked into that bar. Ripping them apart like animals at the mercy of a butcher. Soon after, he ran home. She couldn't have left him, maybe he had dreamed it. But when he had come home to empty wall and lifeless halls, he knew that she had truly left him. He was alone in the world once more, with no sign of light at the end of the tunnel, just pure darkness that consumed his beating heart. Klaus saw red; he ripped the place apart with his bare hands. He broke bottles; he threw chairs and tables, everything had to go. And when everything inside was ruined, he lit the place on fire. And as he saw his home go up in flames he fell to his knees, pulled out his phone and though it had gone straight to voicemail for the first time in his life he confessed he loved her. _

Elena looked beautiful; she was still the same Elena, warm and gracious and a friend with open arms. They sat on her bed and stared at one another, examining one another to see if anything had changed drastically. Nothing did. Elena smiled at her and she smiled back.

"So, you really left him, huh?" Elena asked in a low voice.

Caroline nodded, her heart burning in her chest, "Yeah, yeah I did."

"Are you okay?" Elena asked.

Caroline thought about it for a moment and her eyes began to water. She hated herself for being so weak.

"No. No I'm not okay."

"It's going to be alright Caroline, you're home. I promise, I'll help you get through this."

Caroline smiled a sad smile as Elena brought her oldest friend into her comforting arms. All thoughts of Klaus stormed into Caroline's mind and she felt like she was choking, she had left him, she felt like she was dying inside.

"I can't breathe Elena, I can't breathe." Caroline sobbed into Elena's arms as the brunette rubbed her back and kissed forehead. "It's going to be okay Caroline, it'll be alright."

And in a moment of pure comfort and relief, Caroline crumbled in the doppelganger's arms, feeling apart of her heart calm in the storm that was her mind.

Somewhere far off on the road, Caroline's phone buzzed once, twice…

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